Method of leveling shoes



Dec. 9, 1930. c. LANDER 1,784,455

METHOD OF LEVBLING SHOES Original Fi'led Aug. 9. 1927 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE I. LANDER, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATTERSON, .NE-IV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY Original application filed August 9, 1927, Serial No. 211,823. Divided and this application .filed February 27, 1930. Serial No. 431,800.

This invention relates to the art of making shoes and is herein exemplified with special reference to its application to the leveling of shoes. I

It is desirable in the manufacture of shoes, such as Womens light and stylish shoes, made by welt and McKay methods in imitation of turn shoes, as well as in turn shoes themselves, to provide a close edge about the forepart and shank, that is, to bring the projecting portion of the sole in turn and McKay shoes, or the projecting portions of the inner sole, outer sole and welt in welt shoes into close relation to the upper. This is particularly important in welt shoes, in order that the outsole stitches may be hidden and is peculiarly difficult in welt .work because of the bulky character ofthe inseam, that is, because of the inseam stitches and the stitch holding portions ofthe welt, upper and insole, in the trimming of which seam sufficient material must be left to afford.adequateanchor-age -for the stitches.

In leveling the' foreparts of .shoes upon lasts of usual construction, the bottoms of whichy have a convexity or camber, Athe tendency of the yleveling pressure is to force the material of the insole outwardly. This tendency causes not only loosening ofthe lasting tension of theupper but also 'is directly opposed to the formation of aclose edge, since outward movement of the inseam, dueto the leveling pressure there-on, tends to op'en the crease between the upper and thesole.-

Moreover, the bulk'of the-inseam in proportion to the bottoming materials, particularly inli'ght shoes, is such that the leveling pressure is `taken mainly by theinseam and it'isl'diiiiclt'to obtain suliicientfpressure on the marginal portion of th'e shoel bottom to produce the desired shaping effects, includinga'closefed'ge. A

An yobject of'this invention is'to provide a method adapted for use inthe leveling operation by whichlthe above-described difficulties may be overcome;

To thisend, the invention provides an improved method'of leveling shoes, in which a marginal portion lcfa shoe sole is supported outside of theV line of'fastenings securing the sole to the upper while leveling pressure is applied to the bottom of said marginal portion of the sole without the application of any conslderable amount of pressure to the fastenings securing the sole to the upper. As here- 1n set forth, a last having the margin of its periphery inclined inwardly and toward the body of the last is utilized, pressure being applied progressively to the margin of the shoe bottom to force the inseam inwardly, thereby increasing the tension on the lasted upper and closing the crease between the upper and the outwardly projecting margin of the shoe bottom. It will be apparent that, when the pressure of a leveling instrument such as a roll is applied tothe bottom offa shoe supported on the last,` the leveling pressure is concentrated at the extreme edge of the last, which isg the highest part of the margin of the last and supports the edge of the sole to Withstand the opposed pressure of the leveling instrument when applied to the margin of the outsole which outwardly overhangs the edge of the last bottom. Furthermore, when the pressure ofV a leveling instrument such as a roll is applied perpendicularly to the general plane of the last bottom, the pressure tends to force the materials of the inseam inwardly of the shoe bottom because they are supported by the marginal surfaces of the grooves in the last bottom which incline inwardly of the shoe bottom because they are forcing of the inseam inwardly tends to tighten the lasted upper and to close the crease between the upper and the sole.

lIn the drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a form of last employed in practicing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section showino the forepart of a shoe made'on the'last of Fig. l.;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the shank of a shoeimade ony the last of Fig. 1; and A" Fig. 4 is a transverse section through a shoe made on a last having'at the shank the structure shown in the forepart of Fig; l and showing the operation of a leveling tool upon the shoe.

In the last illustrated in Fig. 1, which may ion, the body portion 10 pori on, ineiudng the heel uftion. The bot- L ned with a shallow ending around the 'lo the bail line.

' elteme pe- J.om and is of 'on of the i nation camber the groove 14 is 'L Je 'the pressure of i the inseam 18 and e at the peri her-al im .upon the e ge or 16 of the iastb1' welt A: and the margin oi the outsole .36 to :torce them closeiytogether' and close the crease 28 between the upper and welt, or margin of the sole i1" the Vslice has no welt. The formation of the groove 14 provides on the margin of the last bottom a surface 30 directed inwardly and toward the body of .the .last against which the shoe bottoming mateontside the inseam 18 arepressed and by reason o which the ieveling pressure, which is applied perpendicularly to the plane of the shoe bottom,.is given an inwardly directed component which causes the inseam to be displaced inwardly of the shoe, with a consequent tendency to tighten the lasted upper over the last and to close the welt crease 28.

rlhe groove 14 may, as illustrated in Fig. 4, entend along the shanlraswell as about the forepart, the groove in that. caseextending about the peripheralmargin ofthe last bottom from breast lin-e to breast line.v The inner edge of the grooveV 14 merges into the central cambered surface of therlast bottom without ani.7 perceptible line-ofidema'rcati'on. The application of an obliquely arranged leveling instrument 32 to the shank portion 'of-*a shoe on the last illustratedin Fig. 4' will, by its pressure applied downwardlyto the margin of the sole, not only close the Welt crease but will, by reason of the .grooved surface o-the inst, end to force the inseam inwardly. At the same time, the groove relieves the pressure upon the inseam so that the'inseamdoes not offer objectionable resistance t0 the action or" the roll.

Under some conditions, however, it is desirable to havethe groove extend about' the forepart only and at the shank to provide a recess 34 with outer walls 36 extending heightwise of the last, the-recessl extending entirely across the shank portion of the last and having a width suiicient to receivethe shank portion of the insole, as 'illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The depth ofthe recess 34 may be-equal to thethickness of the 'insole or may be less than or greater'than the insole thickness. This form-ofthe shank portion of the last enables the leveling pressure to be applied to the outsole, welt and upper between the leveling instrument and the rigid surface of the last outside the recessed portion of the shank. Thus, the last provides a firmer support for the upper than is aorded by the margin 01"' the insole against which the leveling pressure would be applied if the last were of the usual construction. rElie resultis a close shank which will remain clos-e during the wear of the shoe.

The last' c lesjribed` above is not claimed herein since it is claimed in my copending application Serial Number 211,823, filed Aug. 9, 1927 of which Vthis application is a division. .The method of .leveling a shoe on the illustrated last preferably consists in supporting the eXtreme edge portion of the insole, which is effected by the edge 16 oftheilast bottom, relieving opposition to the pressure on the inseam, which is effected by the shallow groove 14, and applying pressure progressively about the periphery of the outsole to force the margin of the outsole and welt aga-inst the supported Aedge of the insole, which operation is performed, for example, by the relative traverse of the. shoe and a leveling instrument, such as a roll, longitudinally of the shoebottom while applying pressure heightwise ofthe last. In this method the inward and heightwise inclination of the margin ofthe last bottom formed by the outer portion of the groove 14 is utilized to cause the 'leveling'.pressure to force inwardly the inseam-and consequently to tighten the upper and. close the welt crease.

A shoe leveledv by the .present method, when removed from the last, has a` substantially flat interior surface on the insole. The groove 14 forms no appreciable ridge on, the inner surface of the insole and is of barely suflicient prominence to be evident to 4the sight 0r to the touch. The outwardly curved portion of the margin of the insole is outside the area ofcontact. ofthe foot with the insole, and this formation ofthe'margin tends materially to prevent the margin' of the insole from curling upwardly and causingndiscomfort to the foot, as lit occasionally does welt shoesinade on the usualllastv l Having thus described by invention, what I claim as new and 'desire tol secure byv Letters `Patent of the' United States is;

1. That improvement in methodsof leveling shoes which consists in applying leveling pressure to the marginal portion of a shoe sole which is secured t'o the upper of the shoe by a line of fastenings while supporting said portion of the sole byl means having an inclined surface, thereby causing the leveling pressure to forcethe said line of fastenings inwardly away from the edge of the sole.

2. That improvement in methods of leveling shoes which consists in supporting the insole of a Welt shoe adjacent to its marginal edges, applying pressure to the marginal portion of the outsole, and directing said pressure by means having an inclined surface to cause the leveling pressure to force the inseam inwardly of the shoe.

3. That improvement in methods of leveling Welt shoes which consists in supporting the feather of the insole, progressively applying pressure about the periphery of the outsole to force the Welt and upper together, and relieving pressure on the inseam to prevent interference of the seam with the leveling operation.

4. That improvement in methods of leveling shoes which consists in applying pressure to the margin of the outsole while utilizing a last having along the margin of its bottom face an inwardly and downwardly directed surface to cause the leveling pressure to force the inseam inwardly of the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARENCE I. LANDER.

CERTiFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. i,784,455. Granted December 9, 193|), to

CLARENCE I. LANDER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, line 811 strike out the words "ot the shoe bottom because they are" and insert instead and toward the body of the last. This; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Uffice.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of July` A. D. 193i.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

